Morpha spoke, and this time changed into a teenage girl. Half of her voluminous blonde hair was tied with a red ribbon, and she wore a luxurious pink dress.
Anyone would have taken her for a noble lady, and Noance let out a low cheer.
“Wow, that’s seriously impressive. I didn’t know dragons could do something like this.”
“You flatter me.”
Morpha smiled, puffing up peach-colored cheeks. The scene somehow gave me chills, and I rubbed both arms.
Mistaking it for cold, Varen immediately removed his cloak and draped it over me. By now, no one paid attention to displays of affection at this level.
Theo, who had been staring thoughtfully at Morpha, raised his hand and asked,
“Do you have to see the real person to transform?”
“It helps if I want to perform perfectly.”
“Good. Then Morpha and I will visit the Litmus family as soon as possible.”
Surprisingly, the Rebel strategist and the dragon negotiator communicated well. The two men met eyes and nodded.
Then Adeline, who had been silently watching, spoke.
“The road to the capital will be harsh. It may be dangerous, so go with Noance.”
Noance, who had been leaning back with his hands behind his head, abruptly straightened.
He looked at Adeline in confusion.
“You want me to go with them? Then what about you, Lady Adeline?”
He fired off words rapidly, but Adeline kept her gentle tone, merely smiling at her loyal subordinate.
“Don’t worry, Noance. Is there any place safer than here?”
“But...”
“Besides, Dravergh will remain here. Who would dare cause trouble? Right?”
Her tone was kind, yet cracks appeared simultaneously in Morpha’s face and mine. The words carried intent, but I couldn’t easily guess what.
She even smiled while looking at Varen. Noance clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction.
“You’re saying that because you don’t know. That guy’s really slow.”
“...Really? Slower than you?”
“Yes. Three times slower.”
At Noance’s words, Varen flared up and kicked his chair back as he stood.
“Ridiculous. I’m not three times slower! I even stopped you from attacking Ceryl!”
“That’s because I wasn’t trying to kill him. If I’d attacked seriously, you couldn’t have stopped me.”
“...I see. Killing you really might be better....”
The dragon who lost a verbal argument to a human trembled in rage.
Noance snorted and pouted toward Adeline again.
“You really want me to go with Theo? I’ve always stayed by your side.”
“Ahaha, it’s fine. You can’t stay beside me forever, can you?”
“I can.”
Noance had been the very first person Adeline recruited when she founded the Rebels.
Recruitment was a generous word—she had picked up a child abandoned by his parents in the slums.
Perhaps because of that, Noance followed Adeline not as a superior but like a mother, never hiding his childish complaints.
After making Varen sit down, I quietly observed those at the table. Some were flustered, some confused, and some calm as ever.
The meeting continued afterward. Most of it consisted of Morpha and Theo planning their infiltration of the Litmus family while the rest listened or agreed.
After about two hours, Adeline rubbed the back of her neck and frowned as if tired.
“I should rest now. Kain is getting restless.”
At the mention of Adeline’s other name, a chill sank into my chest. I never wanted to see her muttering to herself like she was possessed again.
The others seemed to feel the same; led by Theo, everyone quickly wrapped up. We gathered our notes and writing tools and left Adeline’s tent.
Outside, the clear forest air greeted us. I breathed it deep into my lungs, but the heavy, clogged feeling in my chest didn’t ease.
Then Noance hesitantly spoke to me.
“Hey, it won’t take long. While I’m gone, look after Lady Adeline.”
He even slightly bent the stiff neck he always held straight. I could fully feel what Adeline meant to him.
I awkwardly smiled and agreed. Then Theo spoke, his face full of things he wanted to say.
“Ceryl, about the army of death. If what you said is true, we can’t just ignore it.”
“...I know. I’m not planning to ignore it either.”
I answered, rubbing my tired face.
What exactly the curse-like magic on Leobin was, and what connection existed between the House of Aylos and King Laskar.
Finding the key to that secret was, one way or another, my responsibility as Aylos.
“I’ll investigate in my own way too, so don’t worry.”
“That’s not enough. We need solid information to plan. While I visit the Litmus family, you find something you can do as well.”
His firm tone actually cleared my confusion. There was no time to sink into gloom over Leobin. As Theo said, I had to find what I could do and fulfill my role.
I nodded firmly with determination. Theo gave an awkward smile and tried to place a hand on my shoulder.
“Then I’ll leave the Aylos matter to you. Please, Ce—Aagh!”
But his hand never reached me. Varen seized Theo’s wrist midair, gripping it as if he might snap it.
His blue eyes shone coldly as he growled at Theo.
“Don’t touch my mate.”
Oh no. Last night’s conversation must have poured oil on the fire.
From the looks of it, Noance didn’t even care about this level of friction anymore. He shrugged, muttered something like “just don’t kill him,” and left.
Morpha threw a weary glance and walked away.
In the end I had to soothe the boiling dragon and pull him off.
“Calm down. Touching my shoulder won’t cause trouble.”
“I stopped trouble before it happened. Ceryl, you’re far too careless—”
“We should find Margon first. Do you see where he is?”
The person who knew the most about Aylos right now was Margon. I looked around to find him.
But nowhere could I see the burly man with the shaggy beard. Only Rebels moving busily about their tasks surrounded us.
Theo clenched his teeth while rubbing his already bruising wrist, and Varen bared his teeth in return.
“You damned dragon. It almost broke.”
“You should be grateful I didn’t rip it off.”
“Ha, that idiot Ceryl. Why does he even like a guy like you?”
“...Did Ceryl say he likes me?”
The pointless conversation continued. No one seemed willing to help find Margon.
With no choice, I {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} closed my eyes and listened carefully. Margon’s presence was familiar, so I could find him easily.
Uneven, heavy footsteps lacking balance. Rough breathing leaking through increasingly shaggy beard.
And the sound of a blade cutting through the air.
“...Margon!”
I snapped my eyes open and ran toward the sound without even waiting for Varen.
The sun tilted to one side and a cool wind blew through the forest. Even as I ran like mad, cold sweat streamed down my body.
If I could hear it, it couldn’t be far. And this place was protected by Drunkard’s concealment magic.
Yet the sound of a sword meant Margon was in danger.
Varen was right. I was seriously careless and foolishly complacent.
If humans could infiltrate the Beljena Mountains, there was no way a Rebel base without even a fence was safe.
“Ceryl, why are you running?”
“Margon! Margon’s in danger!”
“Stop. He’s fine. That big human isn’t in danger. A sword like that can’t kill him.”
“What if Margon dies too!!”
I shouted at Varen, who had quickly caught up behind me. I hadn’t noticed, but my eyes were already full of tears.
I still hadn’t erased Leobin’s shadow—I couldn’t bear to lose Margon too.
My vision blurred. I wiped my tears roughly and kept running, praying I wasn’t too late.
At last I found Margon’s back standing in the middle of the forest. His sturdy figure walked leisurely with his left hand on his hip.
The moment I saw he was alive, the breath stuck in my chest burst out.
“Margon!”
